Documentation

Installing WarpnixOS

From flashing a USB stick to a finished dual-boot setup. Read a section fully before you start it.

Creating a bootable USB on Windows

1
Download Rufus from rufus.ie and insert your USB flash drive.
2
Select your drive in the Device field and give it a volume label.
3
Choose the downloaded WarpnixOS ISO in the Boot Selection field.
4
Optional: for live media with persistence, set the Persistent Partition Size slider — keep at least 5 GB free for the installer.
5
Set Partition Scheme to MBR, Target System to BIOS or UEFI, File System to FAT32.
6
Click START. If an “ISOHybrid image detected” popup appears, choose Write in ISO Image mode. Only switch to DD Image mode if the USB fails to boot.

Creating a bootable USB on Linux

1
Make sure you have a modern terminal and package manager.
2
Install the MKUSB tool.
3
Follow the official MKUSB Quick-Start manual to flash the WarpnixOS ISO to your drive.

Installing to hard disk

1
Shut the target computer down completely.
2
Insert your bootable WarpnixOS USB drive or DVD.
3
Power on while repeatedly pressing your boot menu key — commonly Fn, F8, F9, F11 or F12.
4
Select the USB drive with the arrow keys and press Enter.
5
Choose the first option in the bootloader menu.
6
Wait for the taskbar and desktop icons to finish loading.
7
Open the Terminal and start the installer:
```
sudo eggs krill
```
8
If asked for an administrative password, enter: evolution
9
Work through the Krill CLI prompts: system language, time zone, keyboard layout (US English by default), a lowercase username with no spaces plus password, a separate root password (safer than reusing one), and an internet connection.
10
Select your target storage disk and confirm the erase. This wipes all existing data on that disk.
11
Select Yes to install the GNU GRUB bootloader if prompted.
12
Review the final summary and press Enter to copy system files.
13
When it finishes, reboot:
```
sudo reboot
```
14
Unplug the USB drive as the screen turns black, so the installer does not loop.

Running in live media mode

1
Power the computer down and insert your persistent USB flash drive.
2
Boot while tapping your manufacturer's boot key, e.g. F11 or F12.
3
Select the USB drive, choose the first boot option, and wait for the desktop to load.
4
You can now manage files, use the pre-installed applications, and add packages via the Terminal or the Discover software center.

Dual booting with Windows

Back up your important files before partitioning. Partitioning the wrong disk or selecting the wrong partition can cause permanent data loss. If you are unsure about a partition, stop and verify it before continuing.

1. Create space for WarpnixOS

1
Boot into Windows.
2
Press Windows + R, enter diskmgmt.msc and press Enter to open Disk Management.
3
Find your Windows partition — usually the C: drive.
4
Right-click it and select Shrink Volume.
5
Enter the amount of space you want to give WarpnixOS and complete the operation.
6
You should now have unallocated space on the disk.

2. Verify your layout before installing

Boot the WarpnixOS USB and check the disks and partitions from the terminal before you confirm anything:

lsblk -f

If the Windows partition and EFI System Partition are both still present after installing, a missing Windows entry is usually a bootloader or detection issue rather than data loss.

If you cannot tell which partition holds Windows and which space is meant for WarpnixOS, stop and get help before continuing.

Dual boot checklist

Before confirming the installation, make sure:

✓Important Windows files are backed up.
✓Windows has been safely shrunk.
✓There is enough space available for WarpnixOS.
✓The WarpnixOS USB has been created successfully.
✓You have checked the storage layout with lsblk.
✓You have identified the correct installation target.
✓You are not selecting the Windows partition.
✓You are not erasing the entire Windows disk.
✓You are not formatting the Windows EFI System Partition.
✓You understand which partition the installer will modify.